Leo
Can you make me a favor and reply on this
I’m studying mechanical engineering, now it’s the last year and I am very little motivated. Im not working yet, and I feel passionate about pshycology and social studies. Do you think it is good to continue in my studies.
I think you wanted a to read a comment concerning the video. If so sorry for that

I had the same issue when I was in my last studying Chemical engineering, I was just not into it. On the other hand, I was very much interested like you in Psychology and social studies.

I do work now as a chemical engineer to make a living because that was the only option at the time. Options are a bit limited in where I live, but I am currently active about changing careers and finding my life purpose. I may end up leaving the country for that.

Leo, your videos are a blessing for me.. I am totally on board .. I wish they were translated to my mother language once ….. so that I can show them to some people I care about (non english speaking) because they need it too…… I am so lucky I found them and can watch them.. gosh, thank you for this excellent work thank you thank youuu

Just to let you know that if you really believe that ” ordinary” people don’t know what ” self-improvment” is and that concept is just so alien to them, ” a fantasy” as you describe it ! then You haven’t learnt anything……what a waste of time and money you’ve spent in your “retreats”…..and how arrogant you are, “ordinary” people, the regular Joe, or Juan in Spanish, with natural intelligence would sit you down and talk you though true knowledge of life…

Good bye Leo, I was following your work but I guess you are so deep into your own self not the “regular Joe”and such a high “achiever ” in the most American way of life…..that you have to re-focus and stop trying to sell us the ” dream” of accomplish everything in life like if it was the dream of all of us …..

Thank you so much Eva for your comment. I too was offended by Leo’s comment. “clueless”, I have stated that I have worked on self improvement, and know when I am choosing what is best for me, and Leo’s video’s are not it. His first video talked about how to not be “negative, or keep toxic people out of your life” I followed it completely, and have taken a very negative, toxic website away from my life.

Eva you were spot on with your comments, and I thank you. Please feel free to keep in touch.

Self-Actualisation is a basic human need, not a ‘dream.’ If you read Maslow’s ‘Theory of Human Motivation’ and ‘Towards a Psychology of Being’ you’ll realise the truth that if you don’t self-actualise it will rot you from the inside. The reason for this is because you can never silence you’re beautiful potential within you.

It might appear like Leo is being arrogant (and yes his presentation style can come across as dickish – he’s a got a video explaining that though) but he’s only doing it to set an example for how you can improve your life. And who doesn’t want to improve their life in a society that teaches mediocrity?

If it’s any consolation I stopped watching actualized.org for months after the spiritual enlightenment intro, only to come to the realisation that, though it was a bitter pill, it was a pill all the same. He’s only trying to help you. I hope you understand that and good luck,

Leo, you are so right about it all. You and I have a lot in common. I’m exactly where I want to be in my life. All of my dreams have come true and more. I don’t need anything. I try to motivate and inspire people to hear what you are saying. Family members tell me that I”m “preaching”. They don’t get it. I’ve learned to let them live their lives and I focus on living mine. I’ve extremely lucky and grateful. I love your videos! You rock!

Hi Leo,
I’ve watched a boat load of your videos and was wondering if there was a certain starting point to this process of Self Actualization. Then I watched this video and you laid it out perfectly. I now know where to start.

Very strong material Leo, you are really speaking to me. I was thinking you had a :30 minute video but the nearly an hour of content just flew by. Haven’t seen this quality in personal development content in years. Keep up the great work and thanks for all you do!

Hey Leo,
I have seen more than a dozen of your videos. I am confident they will be a part of the cultural and intellectual heritage of our generation. I have seen a few videos 5, 6 8 times. Looked at my lists and tried to further improve some aspects in my life. They all thank you here. I am not sure if it makes sense if I do that. I should rather meet you one day in person.

Today, I realized how much has changed in my life. About 10 years ago, I was an indiot. An employee earning what they all earn. Ever saw that movie 39,90? It is about agencies. I was that guy. I found an Image of my team with me in a Magazine lately and I saw the stare of an arrogant, ignorant, inexperienced hot shot. My Boss loved me. At the same time, I was quite sick, and so very afraid of an Operation. Until it was almost too late. One day, still as an employee, I went to a specialist again. “One weak more, and it would have been too late,” he said. I was such a fucking prick, full of fear.

I went through the operations. Two. three of them. I profited immensely. Still, I needed years to understand what still made me sick, and a few months ago, I have found the last part of the puzzle. I cannot be more specific here but this is a new life. It took me years, but others sometimes only need months. I am always slower than the others, but I also look so much younger

I got addicted to being different and to improve Piece by Piece about 4 years ago. I have started with getting very good at meeting girls. It s not what “upright” People want to read about. I started to get out almost every day, be it rainy, snow, heat. No matter what. I had almost no money during that time. I did not perfect it, but trust me, I proved to myself that it’s possible to do in reality what your sex dreams are about (if you are sane..). Today, I am again in a relationship, but it s sooo different from the relationships of many others. I am in a relationship because I deeply enjoy the emotional peace coming from this inner circle of her and me (as opposed to the emotional ups and down when you meet 2 or 3 Girls each week). I am not in a relationship because I think “that s be best you can get. Hopefully she doesn t find out what an idiot you are”. Again, I don t have a reason to brag, and if you read on, you ll see I am honest. I am about 35, my girlfriend is about 15 years younger than me. For the western Society I live in, that s an affront. Knowing how to attract and be intimate girls (or people) means immense Independence. And your girl feels that. It s making the relationship stronger. You become a magnet. It is great. Sometimes I wake up and see her and I think: Yes, this is what I wanted years ago. Young, loving, good looking, 6 Pack, skinny, blonde, intelligent, emotional. And I had to figt to get to this Level for years. Sometimes men ask me: How did you do this? Is it a trick?” I tell them:”I payed with time, tears and ill health. With emotional stress, a constant lack of money and even some broken hearts along the path. Do you want to know, or will you go the path?” They invariably look at me and think I m a Freak. But they want the Girl, the sex, the love. I ve made it, Leo.

But here Comes the other side: Money. Life purpose. Direction. Focusing on one Task. It s all not there. Especially the money. I have kept an eye on all These aspects while I worked on my skills to attract Girls, but I am really not good at mastering 5 live Areas at once. It hat gotten to a Point where I realized that some Girls paid me the entrance to the Sauna, paid meals for me, took me with them for trips…. and enoyed it. As soon as I realized I am spending less for leisure and Food on average than all the Girls, I started to become disgusted about myself. This had never ever been my Goal. But it had be develop that way. The imbalance of my abilities was so great that the “love” area started to compensate for the “Money” area. I am not a marriage swindler. I am not a con Artist I thought.
Today, I am self-employed. And I have also worked on my Standards, on what I want to become in life. On what I expect to contribute. In this area, I am at the very beginning. I am self-employes for about 3 years now. But I realize that I am just starting. The toughest part is: what I do now and what I envision for the future is not very connected in nature. I will again have to conquer fear after fear. It is very hard for me but I am on that path. I am heading towards this great idea, this great Goal that a few others already work on (in medicine). I am now in the IT area. However, I have learned so many things by now. I will learn 2x as much in the future. At the end of my life, I want to have become opportunities for others to live longer, better and stronger. And I am willing to reach this Goal or die trying. Period.

I am on my own journey and more and more things are appearing for me as I direct more time and energy into what interests me.
I gave away everything I had been holding onto, left everything I knew, all of my family so I didn’t have to worry about having a roof over my head, and moved across the country to live with an old family friend basically to start all over again at age 19.

I have never felt so good and I haven’t been so happy and felt so good.

Mindfulness has helped me with depression, grief, anxiety, my over-thinking, paranoia, living in the past, having negative feelings, and OCD tendencies.

I seriously feel like all of that is gone. I know I have a lot of potential in this life and I appreciate all the guidance and new perspectives. I’ve been doing lots of work. I am feeling the most alive right now.

Everything else in my life seemed like a dead end and all of my family lives in the same town and lives as though that is all there is in life is what they know. I am happy I didn’t get stuck like they did and I am now pursuing the life I have always dreamed of and knew I could accomplish.

I am on my way and I have people contacting me, asking me for advice and tips for meditation. I direct them to you along with personal advice that has helped me too.

Also Michael Sealey has helped me too with meditation and self-hypnosis which really helps center me and make me feel better.

I am so happy I am doing this for myself and I am finally focusing on myself for once and not constantly worrying about everyone else and trying to fix everyone else and getting screwed over in the end.

My research on myself and everything that I am creating into my life from these words surprise me. This seems so right. Everything.

I appreciate all the research, time and effort you put into all of your videos. They truly do help and I know what I know cannot be expressed into words but this is the best I could do for this message.

I started self help with you a few months ago. And then I started reading self help books. Then I understood the benefits of getting psychotherapy. Now that time has passed by and I have developed my own taste for approaching self help, I may disagree with you on some major points but I still am very glad that I found your channel.

I just came here to say that I really appreciate your help and thanks for being the first

This video was perturbing. After seeing your video should I take one of your courses to get my life illuminated?
Normally your videos are great inspirations and teach a lot, but this one was more an inspiration to publicity to your trainings.

You always mention to take your courses and that is great. I would take them for sure but you don’t need to “eat my head” with this video to do so.

You are doing a great job and I wish that I can meat you one day in person.

I totally agree with Eva, I am very offended by your comments of “clueless”, and those that don’t work on self improvement. Leo,” to thy own self be true”, and for that I am being “true to myself” and no longer including “negative, or rude” people in my life. That is the only reason I will not be following you any longer.

You see, I have worked on self improvement – but being brainwashed also has no room in my self-improvement. Self improvement would be when you have improved one self, and not “disapprove” or put people down for being an individual – every person will self-improve in their own way. It is unfortunate how you perceive people to be “clueless”.

Excuses, excuses …. This site is to be used as a tool to keep you on track so why are you and EVA contributing first world petty and ignorant comments. Do the work and shut up, if not then why are you here??? “Oh I’m so offended” then be offended and be on your way. Your inferiorities are not needed, especially when Leo nailed it, most people don’t know about self actualization, that’s just the reality of the world we live in.

I think I want to agree with you. I think one doesn’t need to dramatically exit to disagree with what Leo has said, although it is up to them how to express themselves. I do understand Leo, how and why he said it. We have to realize that there are billions of people on the planet, and the possibility that some of them don’t know about personal development is possible; but it is not meant that their worth as a human being is lesser than those who embarked on the journey of personal development. It only means they are still unaware of the concept. But it also doesn’t discount that they surely have a different way of perceiving things; or a different way of navigating life. I understand it that he meant, there are people who are unaware that they can do something intentionally to steer themselves in life.

Perhaps some years ago, I might also get offended by what he said. But now I have also reached a level in understanding life that it doesn’t offend or bother me. I think if one gets offended by it, there is a possibility that one has an issue with boundary, because one is clearly not meant here, it was just a general statement, which is truly not impossible.

This video man…I’m gonna play this one a few times a month. This one is THE TOP of your best, at least to me. I’m a bit realist and not easily offended buy “rude” or “harsh” comments I feel sad for people who are. Don’t change or sugar coat who you are, please. Being REAL is GOOD.

Two books are by my bedside, my thrift store copy of “Marcus Aurelius” by C.R. Hains and “Buddhism Day by Day.” One of my goals is I want to be cool with death by my end and the end of people I love. Another goal is avoiding more life/time sapping, relationship Hells.

Victim Companions! I adore that! Did you make that up? Its perfect for the way people bond these days. I so wish my people who are in agony with their lives would watch your videos and meditate, its so easy to fall the fuck back to sleep after a painful breakup, let bills and shitty jobs, keep us nuts.
The subconscious work, meditation, changing habits, just those three alone are bad-ass. Though, I think adding water and massage therapy to this, is damn helpful. Koreans companies are blowing up NYC and NJ with affordable spas. No cell phones there!

For myself, I meditate on the subway at work and at home. I’ve looked into flotation. In NYC there are places with tanks and amazing zen spaces to hit if you ever visit. Museums are great spots for that as well.
I plan to find a meetup group, I want more friends that are doing this work.
I’m doing more movies and art galleries, on my own. For a long time, I’d hit them, then stop. I’d feel shitty being alone all the time but I don’t feel as sad as I used to. Creative stuff is my thing, I’m compelled to see visually, intense work. After tons of bad breaks in my life, I felt crippled. I gave up on taking in so much art thinking, I’ll never make money from my creativity, My writing is just shit, I’m too old, I’m a freak for liking art or art-house movies.
Even this year, when I did go, I’d think, “I’m not as talented as like Guillermo Del Toro or, the painter Sargent or someone like that so, why bother to create images or write or even see more shit?”

Now, I’ve arranged my life so I can see way more art or movies. I let myself really enjoy it like I did when I was younger. On a cool note, I can now sort of spot people alone, doing the same in a theater or Gallery. I’ll have a drink in a quiet place and read or write my books feeling that I’m not by myself.

I think I wrote you about how my life is changing. Update, this stuff works. Things are changing for me faster and faster and I’m nowhere near out of the woods! I am convinced it’s due to the fuck-ton of self hypnosis and subliminal stuff I take in. I love travel. This year, I’ve covered more of America than ever. I’ve got several books written in first drafts and one that’s being published by a micro press in a few weeks. I see that one as my next jump in income. HAPPY. The money front is still well, shit.It’s adjusting faster and faster so, I’m super excited about that! I’ve done loads of research, connected with people and such. I see the end of the tunnel on that.

Just so you know, your videos are part of my core check in. You look way better, way more chilled out each time. I love your enlightenment work but I also feel you are trying to give us a way to build our integrity again for those that lost it and lost our confidence.

Anyhow, I loved the conversation you had with that kid. People should get off their phones and have real conversations, sit at cafes and just fucking talk and listen to each other.

I really need you to be my coach. I am so lucky that I’ve found your website.

I wish Life will give you lots of inspiration to bring this fire and passion into the World.

My intrinsic desire is to help people, it really makes me happy when I am practicing it with my family and friends. But my degree is in Marketing and Logistics, so I am not sure how to turn on the road that where I could serve society and it could benefit from it.

What about those of us who have taken course after course, seminar after seminar, book after book for YEARS and still no big changes? I love to learn. I LOVE it. I’d say it’s my passion. But I never really USE any of it. I use to believe that I would use it and become strong and disciplined with goals to create the life that I had envisioned for myself. I could NEVER seem to put forth the effort for any length of time to make it happen. I’ve begun to wonder if the “type” of person that I am will never accomplish what I use to believe that I could due to lack of discipline, commitment, passion and belief. Nothing motivates me enough. All of the courses I’ve taken on finding my passion always yield the same result, but the passion isn’t strong enough.

I’ve been seeking enlightenment as well, and I can plainly see that the self is a construct. There is no actual independent, inherent “self”. And I see that objects are the same way. With this new way of seeing life, it seems to be on auto-pilot. Just happening. Maybe that screwed me up, but now I have even less passion after this realization. That being said, when I step back into awareness, even that is ok. It’s all ok. But I don’t want the wind leaving my sails!!!!!! And there I am wanting. Which seems like suffering. I’m kind of confused. Possibly even experiencing some depression because I feel as though I’ve “been there, tried that” and this is as good as this body/mind gets. Ugh.

Yet, I know I’ll still watch your next video. And the next. And the next. And I’ll read books. And attend seminars. And listen to podcasts. And Google another “no-self”, enlightenment satsang. And go for a week without sugar, only jump back into it. And exercise for 8 days straight, only to go 2 months after that without lifting a finger. And make a new friend, only to decide that we didn’t “really” click. And work on handmade products that will likely not go into an Etsy shop, but I’ll keep believing that someday they actually will.

What IS all of that? Why? Why am I 43 and NO different than I was 25 years ago when I first believed that watching videos like the ones above were going to help give me the skill set and discipline to change myself and the world? I’m trying not to let the light go out.

Right, you’re facing a very different problem there. You’ve fallen into the mental-masturbation trap. You’re probably a very good abstract thinker type, so you go around collecting information, hoarding it, but not applying it. You also lack self-discipline so you trick yourself into thinking that you’re growing when you’re collecting more information. But you’re actually not truly learning. You’re procrastinating and living in castles in the sky.

That means… if your behaviors are not changing, you aren’t actually learning anything! Really sit down and think about that! You ain’t learning shit! You’re just shuffling papers on your desk.

You need to learn what true learning entails. You need to learn how to translate theory into actionable behaviors and habits that you can build. Every change has to be tangible! And yes, it takes building discipline. You can’t try to escape that. This work is not for the weak-spined. You’re gonna have to take a big ego-hit on this point before you can progress. Admit that you suck balls at learning. (I know, it’s rough.) But then you can build up from ground zero.

The following video is perfect for you:
http/www.actualized.org/articles/increase-your-results-from-self-help-products-by-10x

Ouch! I’ve never looked at it that way before. But that DOES feel full of substance. I’m only collecting information for the sake of collecting and hoarding. Funny, because with material things I’m an extreme minimalist. Hmmmm. Thank you for your straight forward advice, and I’m looking forward to watching and then putting this recommended material to use…maybe for the first time ever without shuffling papers! Thanks, Leo.

Hi Josette,
I review my self in your comment!
I also have lots of information and dreams about change but I continue stuck on the same old me.
If you want an accountability buddy to help in getting things moving let me now. I usually dont do this but its rare to find someone that can understand want I going trough…

You said you don’t like the term spiritual or spiritual path or something. So you’re not religious I get that, but trying to reach enlightenment surely that’s spiritual right? Or no? All this meditating, if it’s not spiritual then what word would you use? how would you describe it? Just curious what your thinking is here.

The reason I don’t like the word spiritual is because it’s embedded with 2000 years of dogma and misconceptions — which is exactly opposite of what true spirituality is about.

99.99% of people have never had a direct spiritual experience, so they use the word without any point of reference and use it justify all sorts of nonsense and wishful thinking. And even those people who have had a direct spiritual experience, they still muck it up with all sorts of wishful thinking. So the potential for misuse of that word is almost guaranteed. And then when a sharply rationalist or scientifically-minded person hears me using the word spiritual, he rolls his eyes and thinks I’m in league with those wishful thinkers. So I always have to qualify its usage.

The problem is that everything is spiritual. Trying to reach enlightenment is equally as spiritual as taking a dump. But that’s not what most people want to hear.

This is just what I needed to hear! I have set a big vision for myself and started to build on it. However I felt doubt sometimes because of the early stage. I listened to this one and get a lot more clarification and encouragement!

What an inspiring and motivational video, I’ve seen them all and have to say your words seem to fit my everyday life. Self actualizing has been a priority since I started watching your videos and I have transcended into a state of pure being.

Leo, as most of us like to think that we have years upon years of living ahead of us, especially as teenagers (I’m in high school, should we plan/embrace an early death so we follow through with our dreams? I think it would force us rouse the power of now instead of putting things of till later, what are your thoughts on this?

Don’t “plan” it. But definitely live like you know your life is precious and short. Because even if you live to be 90, I guarantee you’ll look back on your life and it will feel like life few fly you in 60 seconds.

Leo, I am right where I want to be in my life. Truly happy. I’m still sitting here listening to this video. I’ve sent it to so many people who could use it and nobody thanked me. I’m not even sure if they listened to it. So sad. I can’t seem to motivate a single soul. But yes, everything you say here is possible. Totally grateful.

What most of us here will recognize from this video is that indeed, almost no-one that we know applies self-improvement or self-actualization.

I just started following your material eight months ago because of a drastic confrontation with my lower-self, and I started a meditation routine, I am learning from your book tips and I am going to counseling. But I have to admit, before my confrontation I only knew vaguely of Maslow’s ideas through a psychology course in university and I never gave it any attention.

My question is, how can ‘we’ raise awareness and attention to the ‘crowd’ of people unaware of their potential? Would it just be sharing and liking your videos, or can we do more? Seeing all this misery in the world (bad events spiraling out of control, especially here in the Old World), people clearly need to start thinking straight to at least stop harming others and then stop harming themselves. A serious drawback is that, as you say, self-actualizing people associate with similar people and are not really in direct contact with people that need the most ‘help’.

A more direct question to you: have you considered organizing retreats yourself? Probably you don’t have time for that, but I think that it would be a great way to get most of us much more serious about our path to self-improvement/actualization, mastery or even enlightenment. Living in Europe, I can say that I would seriously consider coming to the US for your retreat if you would organize one

Hallo Leo, I would like to address to you a major question of mine. You never mention what happens outside of us – I am writing 2 days after Paris shooting – as though what happens in the world would not ‘bother’ us much. I try to be not very much influenced by what happens around the world (and I do know that media has a terrible impact on many of us) , but frankly I do not know how to be so distant from bad news coming from politics, environment, possible wars, and all those huge problems that we are facing now. Again, I cannot feel very well if I think of some children being shot down or so. We are in this world, we live in this world, how can we not be worried by what is now going on?
I’d really appreciate your opinio…
Raffaella, Italy

There’s a difference between being afraid about something and concerned. If you’re afraid, you’ll run away from the problem which in turn only makes it worse, whilst if you are merely concerned, you care about the problem, but you are emotionally detached enough to find a peaceful resolution.

Perhaps there’s a way to put this abstract theory into practice not just in Paris but around the world where people are dying as a consequence of fanatic ideology as we speak.

I remember a while back you mentioned psychedelics. What is your opinion on this? I have heard anecdotal evidence/claims of ego death. It begs the question in that, if one has the framework laid down, could these substance aid in our quest of separating ego from self?

Leo, in the path to self actualizing, is it normal to backslide? Is it normal after you learn new things and make progress, after a few weeks, to feel that you’re regressing because you kinda forgot what you learnt?

And if you want to learn about what actually life is, what humans are, thoughts etc, is it enough just to meditate and… do what you say in your videos about enlightenment?

I don’t want to replace Leo here, but check his video on how to stop backsliding. It really helped me realize that all of us deal with this problem.

I personally need more than just meditation and watching videos. I really recommend you the books Leo introduces. Some of the concepts explained in these books made me realize that everyone deals with the same kinds of issues, even 2000 years ago. Great insights.

Leo you are a great resource and a role model that inspires me with each video. For that I thank you.

By the way do you have any videos on self reliance, its a subject that fascinates, I have listened to an essay on self reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson and it was very elucidating, however I would I’d like to hear your take on this topic.

I guess it does not mean anything to you, if I express my gratitude for your work but I do it though, because I want to express my authentic self.

In this video at the first time I meant to feel that you truly live for your work. You are not just talking, you really live your authentic self and you enjoy sharing your gift with the world. This deeply touched my heart and my eyes became wet.

For a moment I meant to feel how you feel by living your true authentic self and this wakes the strong desire in me to live my own life purpose.

For about six years now before I learned to know you – since I have been in a buddhist monastary for two weeks – I felt in periodical intervalls the deep need to fulfill my purpose and everytime I cry deep from my heart as I do now and I vow to fulfill my life task no matter what.

This is why I am born, this is what I am meant to do and there is no other goal for me than giving my gift to the world, there is nothing I want to do than serving humanity with my work and this is what I am about to do soon.

Your wonderful work is not only for fluent in English but for upper intermediate and advanced levels. I mean non native speakers.
Please, write down the full inscriptions of your videos. Listening and reading, is the only way for non natives to master what the message exactly.

THIS enabales us to share or explain the topics to other in other low levels, as I do from time to time with my students. ( I’m a tutor). THIS HAS A GREAT IMPACT ON THESE STUDENTS.

For example, yesterday 12 feb. I explained to them the best way to to keep materials in their long term memory and this is collected from some of your topics.

It’s totally true that most people don’t think about this! I wasted so many years thinking I was just supposed to go with the flow and that you can’t really control where you end up. It’s just not encouraged in society to go against the grain and take your future into your own hands.

I always loved art and music as a kid but was pretty much just shut down by my family and the people around me and ended up following a path that others wanted for me. A common thing I heard was that most people don’t get what they want out of life, that’s just how it is. 10 years ago, I realized I wasn’t happy and started working on mindfulness and meditation which has helped me so much. I’m so glad I found this website, because it totally fits into the direction I want to go.

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